


Day 2 - You've Gone to The Bathroom 50 Times Today

by ScullyLovesQueequeg



Series: Fictober 2019 [2]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: Cancer Arc, Complete, Gen, Light Angst, season 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2021-01-15 13:33:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21254189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScullyLovesQueequeg/pseuds/ScullyLovesQueequeg
Summary: Mulder thinks something is wrong with Scully. He's wrong about what, though.





	1. You've Gone to The Bathroom 50 Times Today

**Author's Note:**

  * For [greycoupon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/greycoupon/gifts).

“Are you feeling okay?“

His question snapped her out of the reverie she had allowed herself to get lost in. She let her eyes drift across the desk to where Mulder was sitting. She gave him a small, tired smile.

"I’m fine, why?”

“You seem out of it,” Mulder said, concern saturated his tone, and it made her heart flutter. 

Scully thought to herself for a moment. She mentally reviewed everything she had done that morning to give Mulder a reason to think that she was not feeling okay.

“How so?”

“Well, for starters, you’ve gone to the bathroom fifty times today,” He stated, and Scully felt her face go red.

“It can’t have been that much,” She murmured. Mulder gave her a soft laugh.“No, but you have been going with increased frequency these past couple weeks. You’ve also been distracted. I have my suspicions, it started after your whole rendezvous with that guy in Philly. Did you use a condom?”

“Mulder, that’s none of your business…”

A silence fell between them and Scully felt a distinct throbbing pain just above her eye, that caused her lid to twitch. She stood up, and headed for the door.

“It’s not what you think,” She said, but Mulder stood and followed after her. Normally, she would have protested, but she did not this time, leaving the door to the water closet open. Mulder waited outside, leaning against the wall so he couldn’t see inside, since she had kept the door open. Scully turned on the faucet.

“So what is it then? I thought you might have been pregnant, but you were losing weight,” He explained, and Scully inhaled sharply.

“No, I’m not pregnant. I… I’ve been having these nosebleeds. …do you remember what Leonard Betts said?”

“I try not to,” Mulder quipped, but Scully ignored this.

“I think I… I might be sick. I… have a doctor’s appointment for this week, but I’m afraid. Every time I have a headache, there’s a nosebleed.” Scully spoke while cleaning up the nosebleed that was in the process of happening. Mulder’s head appeared at the door.

“Scully… why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to worry you, but I’m telling you now,” She said, glancing over and holding his gaze. Her eyes were drawn to his bottom lip which quivered for a moment. It was that action that made her look away. The worry was clear on his features.

“What do you think is wrong?” He asked, and Scully paused, looking at her reflection, her hair framing her face in a way that made her seem vulnerable.

“…I’m starting to think… it could be cancer." 


	2. Day 3 - I Know You Didn't Ask For This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mulder learns the truth about what was making Scully sick.

“Cancer?” Mulder felt a painful lump forming in his throat, and he dug his nails into his palm. “You think it’s cancer? Isn’t that a bit dire…?”

“Leonard Betts is why. He hadn’t been wrong. The signs I’ve read point to it as well. But I want to find out for sure,” Scully said, regarding her reflection again. Her eyes fell to the sink, and she shut off the water and exited the water closet.

“It can’t be cancer,” Mulder said quietly, following behind her as they walked back into the office. For once, Scully was glad that she could not see Mulder.

“You remember the women from MUFON. They all had the implants, and they all had them removed. They all got cancer. They all died. What makes me any different?”

Scully stepped into the room and heard the door close behind her. Mulder was close—she could feel him almost pressing against her, but he moved to stand beside her.

“You can do something about it. You can speak up against the people who did this to you… I know you didn’t ask for this, we can fight it…”

“We?” Scully turned to face her partner and instantly regret it; she could not bear to look him in the eyes. There was something in them, a truth that she did not allow herself to see, but felt in everything he did.

It was in his voice, the way it lowered and softened when he spoke to her; his hands held hers with tenderness and his eyes said it. Everything about him said it: he was in love with her. It was a truth that threatened to manifest itself in the room.

“Yes, we… you and me.”

“There is no we, there is you and your pursuit of the truth, and me and my cancer. This we concept is nonexistent. I’m the only one fighting here,” Scully said, glancing down and walking away from him.

Mulder hesitated, and took a couple of steps after her.

“So let me help you. You aren’t alone,” Mulder said, but Scully sighed.

“I don’t need your help, Mulder,” She started, but her voice faltered, and she inhaled sharply to recompose herself. “I just need you to understand… I need you to just treat me the same. _Please_.”

“I can’t make any promises about that—you mean too much to me,” Mulder said.

“I’m going to need you to try.”


End file.
